Gabriel prodded the breakfast gingerly with a spoon. It was cooking in a big pot, a brown, sticky mess which was giving off a foul smell, and bubbling playfully.
He looked across to the other side of the kitchen. Anna was sleeping on an armchair, her head on her shoulder, a stray chocolate curl lying teasingly across her face. His eyes fell on her feet. He had bandaged them carefully, but now the white cloth he had used had dark patches of dried blood.
He sighed, feeling sad for her pain, and began serving the stew. It looked rather disgusting on the three tin plates. Disregarding this, he grabbed them and placed them on the table. He poured three glasses of water, then went to find Carl.
Gabriel found walking through the long halls, bathed in early morning sunlight, inexplicably relaxing and all too soon he had reached the bedroom at the back of the house, where Carl had slept.
He knocked on the door.
"Come in!" came Carl's voice.
Gabriel pushed open the door. It was a small room, plainly furnished with a bed, chair and desk. Carl was huddled over the desk, wearing thick safety goggles and filling a small glass vial with silver liquid from a large beaker.
"What have you been up to?" asked Gabriel.
Carl merely smiled. "Nothing. What would you like?"
"I made breakfast."
"God help us al- I mean, ok, good," said Carl, winking, and removing his goggles.
He followed Gabriel back along to the kitchen, and smiled at the sleeping form of Anna. His smile faded as his eyes fell on her feet.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Her cousin has been made a vampire by Dracula," said Gabriel quietly. "She decided to pay Anna a visit last night."
Carl sighed, and shook his head. He sat down, and filled a spoon with stew. "What's in this?" he asked, staring at it.
"Meat, beans and broth," said Gabriel, shrugging.
"Gabriel," moaned Anna's voice.
He hurried over to her, and knelt down beside the chair. She was still asleep, dreaming fitfully. She turned her head violently, then fell still.
"Anna?" whispered Gabriel, leaning forward and gently raising her chin.
She spoke in her sleep. "No... you can't stop me. I'm going back... to save him."
Gabriel pecked her forehead tenderly, and held one of her cool hands.
This romantic moment was cut short by Carl bursting into a fit of violent coughing. Anna woke with a start.
"It's okay," said Gabriel, brushing her stray curl away from her face.
"I take that Carl doesn't much appreciate the breakfast," Anna said sleepily, casting a tired glance at the Friar, who was now gulping down his water.
"Bad dreams?" asked Gabriel.
She shook her head, but was silent. She leaned comfortably back in her chair, and looked distantly out of the kitchen window.
"Breakfast?" asked Gabriel.
Anna smiled teasingly. "I'll pass, if it's all the same."
This was the cue for them to both turn back to Carl, who was now prodding the stew with a strange metal device. Anna and Gabriel exchanged amused glances and burst into laughter at the same moment.
"So, what's the plan for today?" asked Gabriel.
"Today, we address the people," Anna said. "Tonight, we hunt Nosferatu."
He looked across to the other side of the kitchen. Anna was sleeping on an armchair, her head on her shoulder, a stray chocolate curl lying teasingly across her face. His eyes fell on her feet. He had bandaged them carefully, but now the white cloth he had used had dark patches of dried blood.
He sighed, feeling sad for her pain, and began serving the stew. It looked rather disgusting on the three tin plates. Disregarding this, he grabbed them and placed them on the table. He poured three glasses of water, then went to find Carl.
Gabriel found walking through the long halls, bathed in early morning sunlight, inexplicably relaxing and all too soon he had reached the bedroom at the back of the house, where Carl had slept.
He knocked on the door.
"Come in!" came Carl's voice.
Gabriel pushed open the door. It was a small room, plainly furnished with a bed, chair and desk. Carl was huddled over the desk, wearing thick safety goggles and filling a small glass vial with silver liquid from a large beaker.
"What have you been up to?" asked Gabriel.
Carl merely smiled. "Nothing. What would you like?"
"I made breakfast."
"God help us al- I mean, ok, good," said Carl, winking, and removing his goggles.
He followed Gabriel back along to the kitchen, and smiled at the sleeping form of Anna. His smile faded as his eyes fell on her feet.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Her cousin has been made a vampire by Dracula," said Gabriel quietly. "She decided to pay Anna a visit last night."
Carl sighed, and shook his head. He sat down, and filled a spoon with stew. "What's in this?" he asked, staring at it.
"Meat, beans and broth," said Gabriel, shrugging.
"Gabriel," moaned Anna's voice.
He hurried over to her, and knelt down beside the chair. She was still asleep, dreaming fitfully. She turned her head violently, then fell still.
"Anna?" whispered Gabriel, leaning forward and gently raising her chin.
She spoke in her sleep. "No... you can't stop me. I'm going back... to save him."
Gabriel pecked her forehead tenderly, and held one of her cool hands.
This romantic moment was cut short by Carl bursting into a fit of violent coughing. Anna woke with a start.
"It's okay," said Gabriel, brushing her stray curl away from her face.
"I take that Carl doesn't much appreciate the breakfast," Anna said sleepily, casting a tired glance at the Friar, who was now gulping down his water.
"Bad dreams?" asked Gabriel.
She shook her head, but was silent. She leaned comfortably back in her chair, and looked distantly out of the kitchen window.
"Breakfast?" asked Gabriel.
Anna smiled teasingly. "I'll pass, if it's all the same."
This was the cue for them to both turn back to Carl, who was now prodding the stew with a strange metal device. Anna and Gabriel exchanged amused glances and burst into laughter at the same moment.
"So, what's the plan for today?" asked Gabriel.
"Today, we address the people," Anna said. "Tonight, we hunt Nosferatu."